Thomas Buckley

Tommy Buckley earned his Ph.D. in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, and his dissertation was titled, “Psychological Sense of Community Among Older Adults in Puerto Rico Two Years After Hurricane Maria.” Tommy’s academic and professional careers have consistently focused on the field of aging and working with older adults.

Prior to his Ph.D., Tommy earned his Bachelor of Social Work from George Mason University, where he completed field placements at a senior center and a hospice agency. After receiving his B.S.W., he worked for a year with a mental health agency that worked with community-dwelling older adults. He then earned his Master of Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work, where he specialized in social enterprise administration and aging. While at Columbia, he completed his field placement at the Program Planning division at the New York City Department for the Aging. During this field placement, he worked on a project that studied the mental health and social service needs of older adults in New York City who were affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Before enrolling in his Ph.D., Tommy worked for two years with a diverse population of older adults in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). This included working for a year and a half at On Lok PACE in San Francisco, CA.

His research interests focus on the role of community on quality of life and well-being of older adults, the impact of climate change and natural disasters on the mental health of older adults, psychological sense of community, models of long-term care services for older adults, aging in place, and the wellbeing of gerontological service providers.

In his free time, Buckley enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing sports, reading, traveling, and doing anything outdoors, especially hiking and going to the beach.